CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/10/2026

Culture & Media

New Docuseries

Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal (2026)

This brand-new three-part docuseries premiered in June 2026 on Paramount+ (also broadcast as Devotion: The Gloriavale Story on New Zealand television).

The Focus: It examines the daily life inside the sect—where men maintain total authority and women are expected to live in absolute submission—while investigating decades of alleged sexual abuse, coercive control, and leadership cover-ups.

The Approach: Directed by Nicole Rittenmeyer, it uses archival footage and presents dueling interviews with ex-members who call it an abusive prison, alongside current members who fiercely defend their faith.

Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal is a three-part Paramount+ original docuseries released on June 2, 2026. Directed by Nicole Rittenmeyer, the series provides an unprecedented, ground-level look inside the Gloriavale Christian Community in New Zealand, contrasting decades of archival footage with dueling present-day interviews from both current members and survivors.

The series serves as a visceral case study in coercive control. It meticulously documents how vertical authoritarianism—established by the sect's founder, Neville Cooper—relied heavily on horizontal community enforcement to sustain itself. The documentary highlights how members were conditioned to view the outside world as inherently evil, creating a closed milieu where peer surveillance and rigid patriarchal rules normalized decades of alleged sexual abuse and systemic cover-ups.

The visual markers of this totalizing environment are so stark that The Handmaid’s Tale costume designer, Ane Crabtree, has cited Gloriavale's uniform blue dresses and bonnets as a direct inspiration for the acclaimed television series.

Episode Breakdown

The docuseries unfolds in three distinct chapters, charting the rise, exposure, and fracturing of the community:

1. In Search of Truth: Traces the origins of the group under Neville Cooper, exploring how a movement initially founded on religious devotion hardened into a high-demand system built on absolute obedience, sacrifice, and total control of information.

2. Sins of the Father: Captures the pivotal moment the closed world is torn open. This episode details the mounting allegations of sexual assault, the subsequent police raids on the compound, and Cooper's stunning public fall from power.

3. The Choices We Make: Examines the succession and leadership crisis following the founder's death. It focuses on the ongoing struggle over the community's future as external legal scrutiny and internal fractures threaten its survival.

Sources for the details provided about Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal:

• Paramount Press Express: The official media and press release platform for Paramount Global, which provided the June 2, 2026, premiere date, official episode summaries, and production details.

• Paramount+: The official streaming service hosting the docuseries, which confirms the three-part structure and its release as a Paramount+ original.

• Apple TV & Prime Video Directories: Streaming databases that catalog the series, listing Nicole Rittenmeyer as the director, Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong as executive producers, and confirming the episode titles ("In Search of Truth," "Sins of the Father," and "The Choices We Make").

Updates

Research & Academic

Ecstatic Integration: The US military just ended a 16-year, $500mn experiment in 'resilience training'

"Last year, the US military quietly ended one of the biggest-ever experiments in psychological training. Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) was a resilience training program that launched in 2009, cost somewhere between $500 million and $1 billion, was designed by Professor Martin Seligman of Penn University (the inventor of Positive Psychology) and aimed to train every soldier in the Army, and their families, in Positive Psychology and CBT-style coping techniques, in order to improve resilience, and reduce PTSD and suicides.

Did it fail? By one important measure, yes. Veteran suicides kept on rising in the years after the program was rolled out. But by other measures, the truth is, we don’t have a clear answer. One of the biggest-ever psychological training programs in history launched without a pilot and was never independently and rigorously evaluated.

The rise and fall of CSF illustrates the power of the hype cycle in psychological theories. Psychology is an incredibly faddish discipline, arguably more so than other social sciences, because it overlaps with self-help and life-coaching, and because the media and celebrities love to amplify the incredible new way to fix yourself. Fashions rise then disappear - anyone remember the self-esteem movement? Or ‘hysteria’? Or ‘lovesickness’?

The end of CSF is further evidence that well-meaning attempts at mandatory training in wisdom / emotional intelligence / mindfulness / resilience, or other psychospiritual goals consistently fail, based on extensive evidence over the last 25 years. Does that mean Positive Psychology was a pointless waste of time, effort, and money? No. Some findings from the field appear to replicate, and it could intersect with psychedelic science

in interesting ways. It’s the grander ambitions of the movement - resilience classes in every school, resilience training for every US soldier, well-being targets for entire nations - that didn’t stand up."

Ongoing Focus

Safehouse: A place for information, resources, and support regarding harm caused to students and employees of Sattva Yoga Academy.

The SafeHouse website serves as a survivor-led platform for former students, teachers, and associates of Rishikesh’s Sattva Yoga Academy. It provides resources, support, and a collective space to share information regarding severe allegations of sexual and emotional abuse by the founder, Anand Mehrotra.

AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly, or Ashlen Hilliard endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

Please forward articles you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

CultNEWS101 Articles: 6/11/2026

Culture & Media

New Docuseries

Daily Mail: The Cult Behind The Killer: The Andrea Yates Story

"This shocking true-crime documentary tells the story of Texas-born Andrea Kennedy, who was working as a nurse at a cancer hospital when she met Russell ‘Rusty’ Yates. After the pair were married, they began having children (more swiftly than they expected). 

Noah came along first, in 1994, then John, then Paul, then Luke in 1999 - and it was a few months after Luke was born that Rusty remembers his wife starting to change, to withdraw and stare blankly into space. They had another child, though, and it was after the birth of Mary in 2000 that Andrea turned into a ‘completely different person’. 

In 2001, she drowned all five children in the bath. This three-parter hears the story directly from Rusty, exploring the role of postnatal depression, schizophrenia, and the belief system taught by preacher Michael Woroniecki in the heartbreaking fate of the children." (Three episodes HBO Max, Discovery+)

Updates

Research & Academic

La Brújula Verde: Findings in a Mithras Sanctuary in Croatia Force a Rethink of How This Roman Cult Was Practiced

The La Brújula Verde article details a recent study published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology by researchers Ian S. Wilson (Harvard) and Matthew McCarty (University of British Columbia). Their 3D photogrammetric analysis of the Močići site near Cavtat, Croatia, strongly challenges the long-held belief that the Roman cult of Mithras was uniformly practiced across the empire.

Ongoing Focus

People: A Religious Community Cut Off From the World Forced Women Into Submission for Decades. Inside New Zealand's Gloriavale Cult

• The Gloriavale Christian Community is a secretive group located in New Zealand

• Members of the cult have been accused of sexual abuse

• Gloriavale is the subject of the new Paramount+ documentary, Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal

AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

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The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly or Ashlen Hilliard endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

The Gulf Harbour Tragedy: Inside "The Ark" and the Trial of Kaixiao Liu and Lanyue Xiao

A major trial underway in the Auckland High Court has pulled back the curtain on a secretive, isolated religious environment operating out of a residential home in Orewa, New Zealand. What began in March 2024 as a disturbing mystery—when a fisherman discovered the body of an elderly woman wrapped in plastic bags floating in Gulf Harbour—has evolved into a complex prosecution involving allegations of extreme coercive control, forced isolation, and fatal physical abuse.

The Discovery and the Investigation

On March 12, 2024, the remains of 70-year-old Shulai Wang, who had traveled to New Zealand from China’s Hainan province in 2023, were found wrapped in layers of plastic bags.

The breakthrough in the police investigation came down to the specific retail packaging used to conceal the body:

 * **The Clue:** The body was bound with black tape and enclosed in two distinct, large plastic rice bags. Garden stones had been placed inside to weigh it down.

 * **The Paper Trail:** Using the serial numbers printed on the 10-kilogram rice bags, police tracked a bulk purchase of 15 identical bags to a North Shore supermarket.

 * **The Suspects:** The bank account used for the purchase belonged to 38-year-old **Kaixiao Liu**. In July 2024, Liu and his wife, 38-year-old **Lanyue Xiao**, were arrested at Auckland Airport.

Inside "The Ark"

Crown prosecutors allege that Kaixiao Liu operated a high-demand, highly regimented communal home that he and his followers referred to as **"The Ark."**

When police executed a search warrant at the Orewa residence, they uncovered a deeply insular environment. Living in the home were Liu, Xiao, their four young children, Liu's parents (Xiuyun Li, 63, and Jingui Liu, 65), and five other adult women who had moved into the home.

Key Elements of the Group's Beliefs and Dynamics

 * **The Leadership Structure:** Shulai Wang reportedly traveled to New Zealand specifically to seek "religious instruction" from Kaixiao Liu, who acted as the spiritual leader of the household.

 * **Ethereal Worship Culture:** In the years leading up to the trial, Liu heavily invested in projecting a specific spiritual identity. In the summer of 2020/2021, he hired dozens of freelance classical musicians and high-end recording studios in Auckland to record complex orchestral music he composed. Freelancers reported he described the music as an "ethereal, god-like" tool meant to "connect people across the universe." Following his initial arrest, a YouTube channel under his name continued to upload original Mandarin worship videos focusing on salvation and Jesus.

 * *Extreme Rules and Punishment:** According to Crown Prosecutor Emma Kerr's opening statement, life inside "The Ark" was governed by rigid, absolute household rules. The Crown alleges that Wang was subjected to severe discipline for allegedly breaking these rules.

 * **The Charges:** Prosecutors state that before her death, Wang suffered blunt force injuries to her head, face, and arms, was denied food, and was locked away inside a tent in the home. Four family members—Kaixiao Liu, Lanyue Xiao, and Liu's parents—now face charges of kidnapping and manslaughter.

The Intersection of Isolation and Coercive Control

For researchers and practitioners monitoring high-demand groups, "The Ark" presents a classic text-book case of rapid isolation. By blending traditional religious themes (salvation, Christian-adjacent worship) with idiosyncratic household rules, total physical isolation from the broader New Zealand community, and severe physical punishments, the environment cross-sections how coercive control operates behind closed doors in small, family-centric high-demand cells.

References & Further Reading

 1. **Radio New Zealand (RNZ) / Otago Daily Times** (May 25, 2026): *"Religious group accused of killing woman, dumping body in harbour"* – Details from the High Court opening statements, the retail tracking of the rice bags, and the conditions inside "The Ark."

 2. **Otago Daily Times / RNZ Investigation** (September 18, 2024): *"Body in bag accused releases Christian music videos"* – Background on Kaixiao Liu’s musical projects, interviews with hired freelance orchestral musicians, and his YouTube presence.

 3. **Matakana Coast App / NZ Herald** (August 2, 2024): *"Gulf Harbour body: Pair charged in relation to woman found dead in bag named"* – Coverage of the initial court appearance, identification of Kaixiao Liu and Lanyue Xiao, and their arrest at Auckland Airport.

The Ark Case: Leadership, Beliefs, and Ongoing Trial in New Zealand

The Ark Case: Leadership, Beliefs, and Ongoing Trial in New Zealand

Recent court proceedings in Auckland, New Zealand, have brought international attention to a small religious group known as “The Ark,” and its leaders Kaixiao Liu and Lanyue Xiao. The case centers on serious criminal charges connected to the death of a follower and has raised broader questions about religious authority, group dynamics, and accountability.

Who Are Kaixiao Liu and Lanyue Xiao?
Kaixiao Liu is described in court documents and reporting as a leader of a religious group, while Lanyue Xiao, his wife, held an influential position alongside him within the same community.

•Liu reportedly referred to himself using titles such as “Lord,” “master,” or “teacher.” 
•Xiao was described as being referred to as “Queen.” 

•The group was based at a residence in Ōrewa, near Auckland, commonly called “The Ark.”
According to prosecutors, multiple followers—primarily women—lived within this household under structured conditions, with Liu as the central authority figure.

The Ark: Structure and Reported Practices
Public reporting provides limited verified detail about the belief system of this specific group. However, court testimony and investigative reporting describe aspects of its internal structure:
•Members reportedly lived communally at the Ark residence.
•Some women were described as living in “servitude” to Liu and his family, according to prosecution claims.

•The group was said to follow house rules enforced by Liu’s authority.
There are also references to religious framing:
•Followers came to New Zealand seeking “religious instruction” from Liu.
•Separate reporting notes Liu creating Christian-themed worship music, suggesting at least some connection to Christian concepts.

The Criminal Case
The case centers on the death of Shulai Wang, a 70-year-old woman who traveled from China reportedly to study under Liu.

Key allegations presented in court include:
•Wang allegedly attempted to leave the group and was subsequently restrained and punished for breaking rules.
•Prosecutors say she was confined, deprived of food, and physically disciplined before her death.
•Liu, Xiao, and Liu’s parents are charged with kidnapping and manslaughter; all have pleaded not guilty.
The Ark residence and its internal practices have become a central focus of the trial, which continues in the Auckland High Court as of May 2026. 

Why This Story Matters
This case has gained attention beyond New Zealand for several reasons:
•It highlights how isolated religious communities can operate with internal authority structures.
•It raises questions about vulnerability of followers seeking spiritual guidance, particularly across international borders.
•It underscores the role of the legal system in examining alleged abuse within private ideological groups.
At this stage, all allegations remain subject to judicial determination, and the defendants maintain their not guilty pleas.

References & Sources
•RNZ News – Gulf Harbour body trial
•Stuff NZ – Investigation into The Ark and rice bag evidence
•Otago Daily Times – Religious group accused
•Indian Weekender – Trial summary and allegations
•ODT – Liu’s music and religious expression

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/21/2025

Gloriavale Christian School, New Zealand, Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, Community of Jesus, Legal, Meditation

RNZ: Children's Commissioner calls for closure of Gloriavale primary school

"The Children's Commissioner is calling for the urgent closure of Gloriavale Christian School, saying she has zero confidence that students are safe. Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad spoke to Corin Dann."

HuffPost: My Husband Said God Wanted Him To Spank Me. Then He Made A Chilling Request That Had Me Gasping For Air.

"If this sounds familiar to you, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is part of the same denomination."

" ... Wilson is a Christian patriarch who teaches, among other puritanical and high-control doctrines regarding family government, that women are to submit to their husbands and shouldn't be allowed to vote. My family was part of Wilson's congregation, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), until 2007, when I narrowly escaped what I now call church-sanctioned domestic abuse. The scene above is an excerpt from my bestselling memoir about that life and escape, "A Well-Trained Wife."

My husband believed Wilson's teaching held the key to the Christian Golden Age, a shining millennium where Christian ethics and white men rule without resistance or room for anyone else. It goes by several names. Dominion theology. Federalism. Calvinism. New Calvinism. Fundamentalism."

Rock Harbor Truth: Former Member Alleges Forced Labor, Trafficking by Community of Jesus

"A recent court case has brought serious allegations against the Community of Jesus, a religious group on Cape Cod, from a former child member who claims he was forced into unpaid labor and trafficked. The testimony describes exploitation during his time in the group, framing the Community as an abusive environment masked by religious practice. The case is drawing attention to long-standing concerns about the organization's treatment of members, with court proceedings now putting those claims under public and legal scrutiny."

PubMed: Relaxation-induced anxiety: mechanisms and theoretical implications

"Literature evidence documenting the occurrence of relaxation-induced anxiety is reviewed, and several hypothesized mechanisms to explain the phenomenon are discussed. Possible avenues for circumventing the problem in therapy are offered. Finally, a theoretical model is presented wherein the phenomenon is viewed with a broader framework designed to explain the development and maintenance of the more generalized anxiety disorders. That framework emphasizes the emergence of fear of somatic anxiety cues and fear of loss of control from more fundamental interpersonal anxieties."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/13/2025

New Zealand, Gloriavale, Sexual Abuse, Legal, His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, Live Cut Show, 764

1 News: Luxon 'very concerned' by Gloriavale leader's sexual abuse admission

"Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he is "very concerned" about the admission of abuse from Gloriavale's leader but would not be drawn on potential Government oversight of the West Coast commune.

Howard Temple, 85, earlier denied 24 charges, including several of sexual offending against girls and young women at the West Coast commune over 20 years.

However on Wednesday, Temple pleaded guilty to an amended set of charges, including five of indecent assault, five of doing an indecent act, and two common assault charges.

A further 12 charges were dropped.

He was remanded on bail until August 11, when a sentencing date would be set."

KLFY: 2 men missing in Southern California were members of same religious organization: officials

" ... Ghanem was a member of "His Way Spirit Led Assemblies," a religious organization based in Hemet, and had been a devout member for roughly two decades, his sister previously told KTLA.

He also worked for Fullshield, Inc., a pest control business that was owned and operated by the religious group. The business now operates under the name "Maxguard," according to detectives.

He had left that organization shortly before his disappearance, police said. According to Ghanem's sister, her brother had left the ministry and the pest control business when he moved to Nashville to reunite with family.

"He was really happy. He was ready to start his new life… turn over a new leaf," Jenny said, explaining that Ghanem had returned to Southern California "to recapture some of his clients" for the satellite office he was hoping to start for his Nashville pest control business.

KTLA reported in November 2023 that caught Fullshield's attention. The company sent him a letter on May 8, roughly two weeks before his disappearance, accusing him of competing with their business."

WFLA: Parents warned of 'online cult' after 13-year-old arrested

The Pasco County Sheriff's office is warning parents about the dangers of what lurks online.

The warning comes after the sheriff said an 'online cult' led deputies to arrest a 13-year-old boy last Friday.

WFLA: Pasco sheriff: 13-year-old involved in 'online cult' had possession of child porn, bestiality

The Pasco County [FL]  Sheriff's Office is warning parents about the dangers of what lurks online. The warning comes after the sheriff said an "online cult" led deputies to arrest a 13-year-old boy last Friday.

The 13-year-old is accused of having possession of child porn and bestiality. The sheriff's office said this started on video game chat rooms. Last month, they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a Discord group with several people.

"On this Discord group, there were several people there, encouraging a young girl to cut herself and harm herself," said Sheriff Chris Nocco.

Nocco said the group was called a "Live Cut Show." The IP address led them to a 13-year-old in Pasco County. Deputies said the boy admitted to encouraging two other minors to cut themselves.

"The 13-year-old was also in possession of documentation of instructions for committing mass murder, other violent attacks, building bombs, and then concealing evidence," Nocco said.

The sheriff said this is a global issue and they know there are others out there. He said this starts on gaming platforms."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/5/2025 (Jehovah's Witnesses, Book, LGBT, Geelong Revival Centre, Australia, Gloriavale, Child Abuse, New Zealand, Legal)

Jehovah's Witnesses, Book,  LGBT, Geelong Revival Centre, Australia,  Gloriavale, Child Abuse, New Zealand, Legal

Eric Schaeffer: A Lie Told Often Enough Becomes the Truth, Exposing How the Watchtower Deceives Jehovah's Witnesses

"In the late 1800s, a religious organization known as the Watchtower was born. This group places much emphasis on Christ's return and Armageddon, aggressively seeking to spread their doctrine to all who will listen. These efforts were successful, for their influence can be seen in countries and languages throughout the world. Many of the Watchtower's deceptions were easy to spot in the early days, but with almost 150 years of practice, they have found ways to fine-tune their inconsistencies. Millions have been misled by the Watchtower and have become personal carriers of their fraudulent message. These carriers are known as the Jehovah's Witnesses. After having hundreds of conversations with Jehovah's Witnesses, I began to understand that most are sincere people who generally want to please God, but fail to recognize that they have been duped by doctrinal deception. This book examines the variety of ways these deceptions take place by comparing the Bible, the original languages, church history, and the Watchtower's own material. After exploring this information, the reader will be able to see how the Watchtower has been deceiving Jehovah's Witnesses with false prophecies, misquoted scholars, historical untruths, and even purposeful changes to the Bible. This writing is respectful but does not pull any punches. It is straightforward truth that exposes the Watchtower's manipulation of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

AvoidJW: Jehovah's Witnesses Create Three New Businesses in Ireland to handle financial assets

Independent: The Jehovah's Witnesses who left the faith and never looked back: 'I was 37 and had only ever held a boy's hand

" ... McAllen, 39, who lives in Greenwich, south-east London, is today active in support groups that help people who leave high-control religious groups. She has also created a safe space online through her TikTok channel, Apostate Barbie, where she educates others about the realities of life as a Witness. A series of videos on "Random Things You Can't Do as a Jehovah's Witness" has amassed hundreds of thousands of views. "I try to keep things very factual and light," she says of her content. "I don't want it to be heavy or [involve] calling people names. I try to show that there is life after religion. That it's not all doom and gloom, that we're all happy and fine, and in fact life is better."

Like a lot of ex-Witnesses, McAllen describes leaving the religion as "waking up". She had devoted her entire life to the faith, attending regular meetings at kingdom hall and spending dozens of hours a week knocking on doors and handing out pamphlets.

Jehovah's Witnesses are prohibited from socialising with nonbelievers, higher education is often discouraged to prioritise witnessing, and dating is strictly reserved for those seeking marriage. Former members say they were warned that questioning or leaving the faith could lead to "removal from the congregation", a formal practice of excommunication that was, until recently, known as disfellowship.

A person who is disfellowshipped stands to lose everything. They are effectively shunned by the community and end up "grieving the living" after losing contact with family and friends. Nicolas Spooner, a counsellor who specialises in working with Jehovah's Witnesses who leave the organisation, says exclusion from the faith can have a lasting negative impact on mental health, career prospects and quality of life, but it can also present an opportunity for self-discovery and new experiences that would change their lives completely.

"Looking at the sorts of things they're finding out about themselves, I think mostly they're starting to realise how many life skills they lack," Spooner says. "This is what I hear more than anything else. It's quite common for [former members] to find that they shy away from social situations, because they lack certain life skills that everybody else takes for granted – like how to make friends, how to treat friends, how to be a friend. These are things that we learn as we're growing up. If you're growing up as a Witness, it's not the same."

But it's never too late to learn, he adds, as he points to his wife, Heather, who left the Jehovah's Witnesses at the age of 48. Since then, she has completed a PhD in psychology researching the effects of religious ostracism, authored a number of academic articles on the subject and is a lecturer in psychology at Manchester University."

Canberra Times: 'You could hit kids': ex-members in 'cult' abuse claims

"Former members of a fundamentalist church have lifted the lid on abuse of kids and slammed working with children checks as a sham.

Ryan Carey was born into the Geelong Revival Centre, a Pentecostal doomsday church run by pastor Noel Hollins for more than six decades until his death in April 2024.

Mr Carey, whose father was second-in-command to Hollins, said the damage from his and others' time in the church lingers.

"I might have lived in the state of Victoria but I answered to the cult and the cult leader," he told a state parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday.

The inquiry into recruitment and retention methods of cults and organised fringe groups was green lit in April following claims of coercive practices within the church.

Mr Carey and his wife Catherine, who joined the church at age 19, were the first witnesses to give evidence at the public hearing."

AP: Leader of secretive New Zealand commune admits abusing young female church members

"The leader of an isolated and conservative Christian commune in New Zealand pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a dozen indecency and assault charges against women and girls who were members of the religious group.

The admission of guilt from Howard Temple came three days into a trial at which he was accused of abusing members of the Gloriavale commune, aged between 9 and 20 over a period of two decades.

Complainants who appeared in the opening days of Temple's trial at the Greymouth District Court said he had touched or groped them while they were performing domestic duties, including in front of other Gloriavale members during mealtimes, Radio New Zealand reported.

They told the court they were too scared to challenge the leader and feared being told the abuse was their fault.

Temple, who is 85 and known as the Overseeing Shepherd of Gloriavale, earlier denied the two dozen charges, and was scheduled to face a three-week trial. But on [July 30th], his lawyer said the leader would admit to an amended list of 12 crimes."

RNS: Gloriavale leader assault trial enters third day

"Three former Gloriavale members have told a court they were touched, grabbed and groped by the Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple, on the second day of his trial in Greymouth. Mr Temple has pleaded not guilty to 24 charges of sexual assault and doing an indecent act."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

Leader of secretive New Zealand commune admits abusing young female church members

Several former members of the commune described in evidence how the sect's rules gave rise to what they said was a culture of sexual and physical abuse.

AP

July 30, 2025

WELLINGTON: The leader of an isolated and conservative Christian commune in New Zealand pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a dozen indecency and assault charges against women and girls who were members of the religious group.

The admission of guilt from Howard Temple came three days into a trial at which he was accused of abusing members of the Gloriavale commune, aged between 9 and 20 over a period of two decades.

Complainants who appeared in the opening days of Temple's trial at the Greymouth District Court said he had touched or groped them while they were performing domestic duties, including in front of other Gloriavale members during mealtimes, Radio New Zealand reported.

They told the court they were too scared to challenge the leader and feared being told the abuse was their fault.

Temple, who is 85 and known as the Overseeing Shepherd of Gloriavale, earlier denied the two dozen charges, and was scheduled to face a three-week trial. But on Wednesday, his lawyer said the leader would admit to an amended list of 12 crimes.

They included five counts of indecent assault, five of committing an indecent act and two of common assault, Radio New Zealand reported. Some were representative, which means the charges reflect multiple similar acts.

Temple's lawyer didn't respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Howard Temple was charged with decades of abuse as leader of a remote, conservative sect

The charges against the leader spanned from 1998 to 2022 and involved nine complainants.

Gloriavale, a community of about 600 people who live at a settlement on the South Island's remote West Coast, was founded in the 1970s and is mostly estranged from the outside world. Members share all property and money, don't speak to relatives who leave the group, and work and study within the commune.

The sect is known in New Zealand for its conservative beliefs and doctrines. Women and girls wear navy-colored ankle-length dresses with white headdresses, adherents are required to have large families and only men can serve in leadership roles while their wives and children are subservient.

Temple, who was born in the United States and served in the US Navy before migrating to New Zealand, has been the leader at Gloriavale since his predecessor, Hopeful Christian, died in 2018. Christian was sentenced to four years in prison in 1995 on charges of indecent assault against a 19-year-old woman and successfully appealed against convictions on other sexual offending.

Members said the group's rules enabled abuse

The sect attracted attention during a broader official inquiry into decades of abuse at New Zealand's state and religious institutions.

Its final report, published in 2024, found that Gloriavale had for decades prohibited members from reporting crimes to outside authorities. Several former members of the commune described in evidence how the rules gave rise to what they said was a culture of sexual and physical abuse.

Less than a year before he first appeared in court, Temple gave evidence to the inquiry. In his testimony, he said his leadership and a 2020 police investigation into abuse at the commune had prompted "a totally different attitude and way of thinking" in how leaders responded to sexual abuse complaints.

Reporting processes had been inadequate before, he told the inquiry. But now all complainants were believed, Temple said, adding that he had reported alleged abusers to law enforcement himself.

"I will push and I will teach and I will expect it of these people in Gloriavale," he said during the 2022 hearing. "There will be no more abuse in Gloriavale."

He made a public apology in January for abuse by others in the commune, which was rejected by former members of the faith as insincere.

Sentencing likely to come later this year

Temple will next appear in court in August, when a sentencing date for his crimes will be set. Indecent assault carries a penalty of up to seven years in New Zealand.

The country's police welcomed his guilty pleas Wednesday.

"While it would not be appropriate for me to comment further ahead of sentencing, I'd like to acknowledge the victims," Inspector Jaqueline Corner told the AP. "This is a direct result of their willingness and courage to speak up."

https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2025/Jul/30/leader-of-secretive-new-zealand-commune-admits-abusing-young-female-church-members

Cult Trip: Coming Too Close - Anke Richter

Cult Trip: Coming Too Close - Anke Richter

ICSA International Conference 2024
Barcelona, Spain

Wellness industry's dark side: Experts warn of dangers in RNZ podcast The Lodge

RNZ

June 28, 2025

The global wellness industry, valued at approximately $5 trillion, harbours a dangerous underbelly, according to a new RNZ podcast.

Unproven therapies and charismatic gurus can lead vulnerable individuals away from life-saving medical treatments, the investigation reveals.

"The Lodge", an eight-part series by journalist Phil Vine, examines the rise of wellness culture through the story of Aiping Wang.

Wang, a Chinese-born guru established a following first in Eastern Europe, then in New Zealand's remote Fiordland. She offered her followers the possibility of healing without medicine.

Several experts featured in the podcast warn that social media has supercharged problematic wellness claims, creating an environment where influencers can reach millions with unproven health advice.

"What's new is the rise of social media and many digital technologies that enable ordinary individuals to build a brand online and to reach a vast global audience," explains Dr Stephanie Baker from City University in London.

She's the author of Wellness Culture: How the Wellness Movement Has Been Used to Empower, Profit and Misinform.

The podcast explores how wellness movements often exploit legitimate distrust in conventional healthcare systems, what Dr Baker calls the "low trust society."

Dr Jon-Patrick Allem, Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences from Rutgers University, New Jersey, notes this dynamic in his research.

"The wellness industry is so appealing to people because there's a lot of problems with medicine," Allem explains. "There's a lot of problems with how one interacts with their physician, when they see their physician, what their physician is versed in to communicate."

The podcast documents real-world consequences through the stories of Wang's followers who rejected conventional treatment for conditions including: breast cancer, melanoma, and HIV after hoping for cures through "energy healing".

Allem highlights a particularly concerning wellness trend: "What I am seeing in the social media space is individuals claiming to have alternative ways to not just prevent a cancer diagnosis, but to cure a cancer diagnosis."

Dr Emily Yang from Western Sydney University, who has trained in traditional Chinese medicine, warns against using unproven therapies as substitutes for evidence-based treatments: "For example I would never claim Tai Chi can treat cancer," she says, advocating instead for complementary approaches alongside conventional medicine.

The podcast examines the psychological appeal of wellness gurus, with Baker noting that people often turn to such figures during tough times - an aspect she calls "situational vulnerability".

"It could be the situation involving the death of a loved one or possibly divorce. A moment when one feels less stable. They're often searching for answers, for meaning."

New Zealand cult expert Anke Richter identifies a clear warning sign in wellness practices: exclusivity. When practitioners insist their method is the only acceptable approach and discourage conventional medical treatment, it can have fatal consequences.

"There's a quiet death toll," Richter explains.

The podcast connects these modern wellness trends to the rise of figures such as Dr Joe Dispenza, who claims to cure cancer through "coherence healing" and has amassed 3.6 million Instagram followers.

Allem warns listeners to be sceptical of practitioners who make expansive claims: "The wellness industry, broadly defined, is so appealing to people because there's a lot of problems with medicine. But that doesn't mean that wellness practices should replace proven treatments."

Baker offers advice for those concerned about loved ones who may be falling under the influence of questionable wellness practitioners: "Don't cut them off. It's the worst thing you can do. Through maintaining a sense of common ground with these people, rather than just dismissing their belief system, you can help them see contradictions."

For consumers navigating the wellness landscape, experts recommend maintaining open communication with conventional healthcare providers and being wary of any practitioner who suggests abandoning proven medical treatments entirely.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/565374/wellness-industry-s-dark-side-experts-warn-of-dangers-in-rnz-podcast-the-lodge

Critics line up against the government’s plan to tax charities

Diana Clement

LawNews

April 23, 2025

A sweeping review of the taxation of New Zealand’s 29,000 registered charities has sparked widespread concern.

Proposals to tax not-for-profits’ business income if it’s unrelated to their charitable purpose – whatever that might mean as this term has not been defined – and tighten donor-controlled charity rules have left many questioning whether this is genuine tax reform or simply a government revenue-grab.

The IRD published its 24-page consultation document Taxation and the not-for-profit sector on February 24, with a tight deadline of March 31 for submissions.

The move has appealed to those who disapprove of the behaviour of charities such as Sanitarium, the Gloriavale Christian Community and Destiny Church, but critics say it’s not the job of the IRD and tax legislation to rein in these organisations and the proposals risk punishing legitimate charities with increased taxes and compliance costs.

Both the proposals and the short time frame for consultation have been criticised by the charity, legal and accounting sectors. Some see it as a tax grab by a government that needs to balance its books before next month’s Budget.

Tax reform of the charitable sector wasn’t part of National’s 100-day plan, but a paper prepared by the IRD for the previous government caught the attention of the coalition, says tax expert Stephen Tomlinson, a partner at Tomlinson Law and member of The Law Association’s Trust Law Committee. The consultation document was pulled together in weeks, he says, and the window to respond was short.

“One could be a little bit cynical about this in that it seems to be driven not so much by the Minister of Revenue but, rather, by the Minister of Finance, Tomlinson says. “It has been quite a condensed process and that concerns us.”

The proposals themselves are also a concern, particularly the plan to tax charities’ unrelated business activities. Even if the profit from unrelated businesses is used for charitable purposes, it will be taxed, along with returns from a charity’s investments.

“There used to be a presumption in charities law and tax law that a charity existed to further its charitable purposes and not to make money,” Tomlinson says.

The proposal to tax investment income is also fraught.

“More recent case law suggests that [the] Inland Revenue’s view is that the same principles that apply for determining whether a taxpaying citizen is carrying on a business [of investing] also apply to a charity. Presumably that will lead to a situation where some investment income is taxed and some still isn’t,” he said. The Catch-22 for charities is that there is an obligation for the trustees to invest prudently.

Tomlinson says unless there is a carve-out for investment income, the proposals will result in larger charities being taxed. “It’s got nothing to do with the perceived competitive advantage that charities enjoy over other businesses.”

If the proposals become law, there will likely be boundary issues for both charities and the IRD. These could be costly for both charities and the IRD as the legislation is tested in court.

Concerns about the behaviour of a small number of charities shouldn’t fall to the IRD to resolve, Tomlinson says. Unlike some overseas jurisdictions, New Zealand has a regulator – Charity Services – which monitors the sector.

The government is looking in the wrong place to balance its books, he adds, and there is a concern that New Zealand might end up “with a knee-jerk reaction …. reform driven by fiscal needs.

“If I were to draw a rather dangerous analogy, it’s a little bit like the Trump administration imposing tariffs without actually thinking through the fiscal effects of those and just thinking that it’s a good idea, based on inadequate research and understanding of these reforms.”

The other area of particular concern for Tomlinson is the taxation of not-for-profit organisations such as credit unions, friendly societies and clubs.

Not-for-profits should have been filing returns since 2004, but many smaller organisations are oblivious to this, Tomlinson says. He questions whether it is worth the time and effort to audit not-for-profits and collect this tax.

If not-for-profits are to be taxed, he recommends the $1,000 exemption, which was introduced in the late 1970s, be increased.

Limited consultation, significant change

Charities lawyer Sue Barker has written a 143-page submission repudiating much of the IRD’s consultation document. But she appeared stumped when asked why the IRD and/or government had come up with these proposals.

“It seems to be driven more by ideology,” Barker says. “The analysis is, ‘I run a business, and I pay tax. This business over here doesn’t pay tax. How can that possibly be fair?’”

The IRD has been trying to tax charities since1967, she said.  “And maybe [the IRD] thought with a right-wing government that perhaps this was its opportunity.”

At the same time, she says, officials have created a belief in the public’s mind that there’s something dodgy going on. “The underlying question as to whether there really is a problem that needs to be fixed, I don’t think it’s actually [been] asked.”

Barker said she couldn’t speak for the IRD or the government but thought the problem was that officials were working from underlying assumptions that hadn’t been properly examined.

Lawyers from all fields should also be concerned about the short timeframe of this consultation, Barker said. It could be repeated in other areas.

“They do this very limited consultation for the most significant change to the tax settings for charities in almost a century. They give charities just over four weeks that coincides with the end of the financial year for most charities. Why the rush?”

The international experience

Barker and others spoken to by LawNews point out that the consultation document assumes New Zealand is an outlier when it came to taxing charities, a subject Barker covers in her submission.

It was other countries that needed to look at this issue because their approaches had been shown not to work, she said. “Canada is looking to move to the way Australia and New Zealand treat their business income.”

She concluded, after an extensive review of overseas jurisdictions, that they serve as a cautionary tale rather than a precedent to be followed.

The concept of an unrelated business income tax had failed all over the world, Barker said. For charities, there is no bright line between a related and an unrelated business and attempts to draw such a distinction are fraught with difficulty that cannot be resolved.

“Outlier” charities that are breaching their fiduciary duties can be dealt with by using rules that are already in place, she said.

“My real concern is that the proposals will not address the perceived areas of concern but what they will do is impose blanket restrictions on the charitable sector as a whole which will stifle a lot of really important charitable work. It will also demoralise voluntary effort without addressing the perceived issues. Even if we had a problem, these measures wouldn’t fix it.”

Her submission outline reasons why the government should not remove the FBT (fringe benefit tax) exemption for charities. Barker said the policy rationale was that it enabled governments to further social objectives such as supporting disadvantaged communities. Removing this concession could negatively impact charities, especially those operating with limited resources. “[It] is an important support for charities that should remain in place for as long as the FBT regime itself remains.”

Charities already struggle to recruit labour and removing FBT exemptions would make it harder, Barker said.

Her submission also highlights imputation credits, which were not analysed in the consultation document. Charities cannot claim imputation credits, as other businesses can, and this affects the “competitive advantage” argument, Barker said.

This non-refundability distorts charity investment decisions, pushing them away from New Zealand companies (where dividends are taxed) and towards investments where their tax exemption is effective, such as interest-bearing debt or foreign companies offering unimputed dividends.

Costs, complications and unintended consequences

Chartered accountant Craig Fisher, an independent director and governance consultant and a former member of the ADLS (now The Law Association) council, acknowledges that objectives such as simplifying tax rules and addressing integrity risks are well-intended but warns the devil is in the detail.

He says the public does not understand the proposals outlined in the consultation document and believes them to be a fix for questionable behaviour by a small number of charities such as Destiny Church and the Gloriavale Christiab Community.

“Charity law is the most appropriate approach to maintain the social licence and public confidence of the charitable sector,” Fisher says. “If abuse of tax concessions is the primary issue, then resource the [Charity Services] regulator sufficiently to investigate and ensure it can take appropriate action.”

He adds that charities already face significant transparency requirements, including financial reporting and service performance reporting. These compliance costs are significantly greater than those for most for-profit entities, which often have no legislated obligations.

“The biggest issue with [the proposals] is the conceptual one in that it’s looking at the support of charities as a cost to the government, as lost revenue. Most studies would show that actually, charities are more effective deliverers of charitable services to society than the government is directly.”

Fisher says as it stands, the principles behind the consultation move New Zealand further away from its simple tax system. “As a rule, exceptions often create complications costs, and unintended consequences.”

He questions the financial analysis behind the IRD’s paper and says from an accounting perspective, it doesn’t add up.

“Late last year, Minister Willis [was quoted in] the press about the charity sector making $2 billion worth of profit that needs to be taxed. That’s a very simplistic statement. If the IRD starts taxing, then in order to be fair I would want, as an operator of a charitable business, to be claiming absolutely every expense that I could to reduce my tax liability. That’s what for-profit businesses do. That would dramatically change the potential level of taxation revenue to the government.

“Is my time worth $500 an hour? Or is it worth the minimum hourly rate?” says Fisher, who is on several charitable boards. “The cost of compliance for both the charities and the IRD would be huge if the proposals go ahead.

“I then have a major conceptual problem with the fact that the government, and not just this current government but repeated governments of all colours over the past 20 years, have made various statements about wanting the charitable sector to be sustainable and self-sustaining. Yet all the funding that charities get generally relies on the charity of others, apart from a charity actually running a business. It’s the only one where the charity has complete control over its own destiny.”

Fisher says he has not seen evidence of predatory pricing by charities or independent studies proving that this is a problem. Charities on the other hand face competitive disadvantages, such as restrictions on raising finance, the inability to claim imputation credits on tax-paid dividends and the inability to offset losses against future profits.

Read the consultation paper here https://www.taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/-/media/project/ir/tp/consultation/2025/taxation-and-the-not-for-profit-sector.pdf

 https://lawnews.nz/tax/critics-line-up-against-the-governments-plan-to-tax-charities/